A co
mpas, I learned when I was surveying, it’ll… it’ll point you True North from where you’re standing, but it’s got no advice about the swamps and deserts and chasms that you’ll encounter along the way. If in pursuit of your destination, you plunge ahead, heedless of obstacles, and achieve nothing more than to sink in a swamp… What’s the use of knowing True North?~ Abraham Lincoln
I watched the recent Lincoln movie over the weekend and these words haunted me for the past few days. It reminded me of the conversation Asenath and I had over lunch Friday. She says that I have the ability to know where I need to go, that I follow my purpose, straight on, regardless of who or what tries to derail me. I forge ahead, not knowing where it will lead, only knowing that I will “know it” once I am there. Faith and Hope in the process of life unfolding despite being knocked down along the way.
Thus begun my internal dialogue about Direction, True North, North Star, and an Internal Compas. Everyone knows I do not have the “directional” gene to know actually which way north, south, east, and west are. Yes, it is true that once my father and I got lost trying to get out of the Providence Public library when I was in High school. Mina and Allegra actually joked one time in the back seat of the car that they should get me a compas for my keychain! Even they know I get lost, physically, easily.
That being said, I do feel that I have a very strong Internal Compas that shows me where I need to go and do what I need to do to live my purpose. When Lincoln talks about True North, it is an External North, something that is not part of you. It is another’s expectations of what you should be doing or where you should be going. Of course you will sink in the swamp of someone else’s ideals and get lost because it is not your path, not YOUR north star.
Finding your OWN north star, means listening to what your Internal Compas compels you to do. Each person has their own North Star to follow. What is North? Simply, for me, it’s going UP. If you are starting your life over, you are moving up to where you have set your goals and aspirations. Thereby; creating your own North Star. We get lost when other peoples ideas and fears create doubt in our soul. That is when we begin sinking into Lincoln’s swamp. You can not use someone else’s compas to reach your own destination. By following your own Internal Compas, you will have the strength to navigate the deserts and chasms that try to impede your progress. Those stumbling points are there as check in points for yourself because at some point, your stopped paying attention to your North Star and tripped. How can you take that stumble, re-focus and get back on track with clearer intentions?
Asenath has watched me since the end of March gain momentum, get knocked sideways one month, flat on my ass another, and struggle upstream from time to time. There is always something that will challenge us and our decisions. If you know in your heart that you are moving, even just an inch at a time, in the right direction, you will find the strength to pull yourself to your feet to keep going.